Description

Delight in these Bloomin Baked Apples, a warm and comforting dessert featuring tender, fanned apples filled with a sweet cinnamon and brown sugar mixture, baked to perfection with butter and vanilla. Perfect for cozy nights or a wholesome treat, this recipe highlights the natural sweetness and texture of baking apples like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith.

Ingredients

Scale

Apples and Filling

4 medium baking apples (such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Fuji)
0.5 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
0.125 tsp salt
0.25 cup unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
0.5 cup water

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prep Dish: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish or a similar size that fits the apples snugly to prepare for baking.
Core and Slice the Apples: Wash the apples thoroughly. Using a paring knife or apple corer, carefully remove the core from each apple without cutting through to the bottom. Place the apples stem-side down and make parallel cuts about 1/4 inch apart from top to bottom, making sure not to slice all the way through to create a ‘blooming’ effect. Gently fan out the slices for filling.
Mix the Spiced Sugar: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir the mixture well until evenly blended.
Fill the Apples: Spoon the spiced sugar mixture into the center of each apple and carefully fill between the fanned slices. Press down gently. Add small cubes of cold unsalted butter in the center and tuck a few more pieces between the slices to enhance richness and flavor.
Arrange and Add Water: Place the filled apples upright in the prepared baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup water into the bottom of the dish around the apples to create steam during baking, helping keep the apples moist.
Bake the Apples: Bake the apples for 30-40 minutes until they become tender to the fork and the brown sugar mixture is bubbly and caramelized. Halfway through baking (after 15-20 minutes), spoon some of the pan juices over the apples to keep them moist and give a glossy finish.
Cool and Serve: Remove the apples carefully from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Serve warm, drizzled with any remaining pan juices for extra flavor and moisture.

Notes

Choose firm baking apples such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Fuji for best results.
Be careful not to cut through the bottoms of the apples to keep the ‘blooming’ shape intact.
Cold butter cubes help create pockets of rich flavor as they melt during baking.
Adding water to the baking dish ensures the apples stay moist and prevents burning of the sugar.
This dessert can be served alone or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for extra indulgence.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: baked apples, cinnamon apples, fall dessert, healthy dessert, apple recipe, baked fruit